What Makes a Good Book GREAT!

Right now I'm in the throes of judging seven books from all categories of romance for our prestigious RITA award. For those you haven't heard of this before, it's the highest honor, complete with gold statue, that a romance writer can achieve. And the contest is judged by peers, authors who are members of RWA and write romance. I'm through three books already and all are very very good. But two of them ( and I do consider myself fortunate since it's not always the case) are really great!

I stayed up very late reading, unable or willing to put one of these books down. Even as my eyes started to cross and words blurred on the page, I wanted desperately to finish the book. Today, I asked myself why? Why was this book, and the other I read a few days ago, so darn good? Why did I feel compelled to finish it and at the same time hate that it had to end?

The books had all the usual things to make them Good. Good emotion, good sexual tension, good plotting, good pacing, good dialogue ... you get the picture. But what I realized is that the two books I loved, had something more.

Nuance. Yes, they had nuances in the book that made them special -- a cut above. Something that said this author didn't rush through this story, but had really given it great thought. Whether a quote from Keats that fits the situation perfectly, or a metaphor to the same end or tiny bits in characterization that spoke of how well the author knew her hero and heroine or a small subplot that allows for comic relief. It's amazing how these tiny nuances sprinkled throughout the book make the story more intriguing, more compelling, lighting a curiosity in the reader to want to continue, to find other sparks of genius in the story. It sounds like such a small thing, but believe me, it's really what sets a good book apart from something wonderful and turns a good story into a delightful read!